Getting to Know the Neighbours: Naked-Eye Stars and Their Planets (2021–2024)
Abstract:
We now know that nearly all stars host planets, and exoplanet science is now turning to bright individual systems. This Project aims to study the nearest, brightest stars by extending the capabilities of NASA's TESS telescope and Mount Kent Observatory. This is significant as the best chance we have to detect planets around stars bright enough to measure the planetary and stellar properties precisely. The expected outcomes of this project will be the discovery of planets transiting nearby naked-eye stars, and crucial measurements of the masses of these stars and planets. The benefits of this will be a key sample of new, well-understood benchmark systems, and new open-source algorithms for data analysis in astronomy and more broadly.
